August 10 - Elvis Hits #1

It looks like all of America is rockin’ to 'Elvis: The Great Performances' as it debuts at the top spot - #1 – on Billboard’s Top Music Video Sales chart this week. Released August 2, 2011, Elvis: The Great Performances 2 DVD Set (Hip-O/SOFA Entertainment) captures the talent, mesmerizing stage presence and charisma of the man known throughout the world as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. 


This collection follows Elvis’ career from his first televised appearance that shocked America and had everyone talking about his hip-shaking performance, to a sold-out concert a few weeks before his death on August 16, 1977. 


Charts

• The Elvis concert album, 'An Afternoon In The Garden' is on the rise, moving up from # 149 to # 123 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart.
• On the Billboard Catalogue Album Chart, 'An Afternoon In The Garden' does even better as it climbs from # 22 to # 10 on the Catalogue Album Chart for the week ended 20th August. 

(Source: EPE / FECC)

August 09 - Elvis’ Karate School To Be Demolished

The building which housed the old Tennessee Karate Institute (TKI) on the Corner of N. Cleveland Street and Overton Park Avenue was purchased by the Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly which planned to demolish the building. The current lease holder has been given 12 months notice to vacate the premises before work begins.

Conversation With The King



The book 'Conversation With The King: Journals Of A Young Apprentice' by Elvis Presley's stepbrother David Stanley was announced with a December 2011 release-date. 


From the publisher:


“Conversations With The King - Journals of a Young Apprentice is a book about the extraordinary lessons that my stepbrother Elvis Presley, the private mystic and healer, taught me during my seventeen years as his young apprentice. It is also about the equally important lessons I learned from witnessing his titanic struggle between his most authentic spiritual self, his private demons and his feeling imprisoned by the public icon he had become.


This is the one Elvis story that has never been written because I’m the only one who could tell it. Only now do I at last understand that story well enough to share it in ways that will be healing to many, perhaps including you.


Why does Elvis continue to hold sway with millions around the world for reasons they don’t understand, even 34 years after his death? Conversations with the King: Journals of a Young Apprentice is your doorway into the secrets behind that mystery.
This book gives you never-before-available access to the wisdom and gifts Elvis never openly discussed in public. The untold stories each chapter contains revolve around a life lesson that invites you into discovering your answers to the mysteries of your life.
You’ll be enthralled by the messages this book illuminates. And regardless of whether Elvis means something to you, this book’s lessons are for all who seek to become more authentic, wise and enduringly happy.
These lessons may well transform your life. They certainly transformed mine. And they continue to do so to this day."

Original Album Classics



Another set of Elvis album classics are set for release on September 26th from Sony Music in the "Original Album Classics" series. This set contains 'Today' (1975), 'From Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis Tenn' (1976) and 'Moody Blue' (1977) This new 3 CD set is released on September 26th in the UK.

August 08 - Elvis Sa Vie Sa Carriere

The release of the DVD 'Elvis Sa Vie Sa Carriere' by the French Zylo label. The set, Due October 4, 2011,  contains a documentary, music and five postcards. 


The 'Essential Elvis' CD Gold


Last week, the 2CD compilation album ‘The Essential Elvis Presley’ re-entered the Swedish album chart at #22. This week, the album rises from #22 to #17. That is the best position the album has been listed on the chart since it left the Top10 back in September 2007.


The album has spent five weeks on the chart so far this year, which adds to a total of 34 weeks since its debut in 2007. ‘The Essential’ initially peaked at #1, and stayed in the Top10 for 8 consecutive weeks (#1 for two weeks). It was currently certified Gold in Sweden.

August 07 - Platinum Charts

Last week, the 3CD budget compilation album, 'The Ultimate Elvis Presley Collection' (released June 20th, 2011), debuted at #68 in Ireland. This week, the album dropped from #68 to #90.


The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recently certified the ''68 Comeback Special' DVD 6x Platinum. This award recognizes 90,000 shipped copies in Australia.


(Source: FECC)

August 06 - Knoxville 1972 Elvis Show To Air

On Monday August 15th WDVX-Radio hope to play a new recording of Elvis' concert performance from April 8, 1972 in Knoxville. The concert was part of the tour which was filmed by MGM for the movie, 'Elvis On Tour' and in honour of Elvis on the 34th anniversary of his death, WDVX-Radio will be dedicating a two hour live special devoted to the Kings music. 


The show is 'The Vinyl Frontier' and can be heard on-line and worldwide at www.wdvx.com. The Knoxville, Tennessee based WDVX will air the show on Monday night from 9pm till 11pm with Hosts Bradley Reeves and Louisa Trott of the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound spinning those original vinyl records released during Elvis' lifetime.
During the show, they hope to play portions of the rare, never-before heard home tape recording of the April 8, 1972 Elvis Knoxville concert, provided the recording on the original cassette tape can be transferred from the tape. The recording has never surfaced, part of the the concert was filmed.

August 05 - Bossa Nova Promo

An Elvis Week bonus for Elvis Insiders! Those attending the Official Elvis Insiders Event on Saturday, August 13 will receive a limited edition CD single of "Bossa Nova Baby" from Viva ELVIS - The Album. The song is being featured in a new Heineken TV commercial now airing in Ireland.


(Source: EPE)

August 04 - I Gotta Know The Fashion Files

The latest title from Rockwell Records is 'I Gotta Know' which is the labels first 10" release. The album is produced in a red and a white edition, both limited to 150 copies.

Side A:

01, Fever

02, Like A Baby

03, I Will Be Home Again

04, The Thrill Of Your Love

05, Dirty Dirty Feeling

06, The Girl Of My Best Friend

Side B:

01, I Gotta Know

02, Girl Next Door Went A Walking

03, Are You Lonesome Tonight?

04, Reconsider Baby

05, Such A Night

06, It’s Now Or Never

Charts

An Afternoon in the Garden was listed at #149 on Billboards Top 200 Chart and # 22 on THE Catalog Album Chart. IT Scanned ca. 3300 units.

Book Presentations

Two old friends from Norway, Pål Granlund - ' Fashion For A King' - and Erik Lorentzen -'The Elvis Files Vol. 4' both released their book in Bad Nauheim during The Elvis Weekend in Elvis' old "home town" in Germany. 

(Source: Elvis Express / ElvisMatters / FECC)

August 03 - King Creole

Joe Tunzi's JAT Publishing announced the release of the 'King Creole' book as part of their 24th anniversary year.


(Source: FECC / JAT)

August 02 - Made Famous By Elvis Presley

The German Music Alliance Membran GmbH budgetlabel announced the release of the 9 CD set 'Made Famous By Elvis Presley' containg 100 songs by Elvis Presley and the Originals that inspired him. The set has August 26 as the release-date.

(Source: The King's World)

August 01 - The Bicentennial Bootlegbook

The book 'Elvis - Live At The International', containing the full story of Elvis' time at the International Hotel from August 1969 to September 1971, was released.


Synopsis

This book contains 170 pages describing in meticulous detail exactly what it was like to see Elvis at the International. Taken from the diaries of super fan Peggy Elzea, the chapters describe meeting Elvis backstage, the shows, the hotel , the staff, the food, even the call girls. There are sections of tape transcripts, jumpsuit descriptions, photographs of memorabilia, the hotel's advertising campaign, the list goes on. If you ever wanted to know how Elvis chipped his tooth on stage in 1971 even that is in here. With approximately 100,000 words, there will never be a better chance to read about Elvis' first engagements in Vegas as seen through the eyes of a fan who was there. Peggy wrote down her memories forty years ago but they are as honest and fresh as if it all just happened yesterday.


Bootleg Elvis
 
As published on the FECC website: "In April 2012 this most extensive, informative and hopefully also very enjoyable book, to be simply titled Bootleg Elvis, will be made available to all of you with an undying love for the good old (illicit) vinyl records of Elvis Presley. We are very pleased to announce that we are on the final stretch, adding last minute information, doing corrections and a final proof reading that will lead us into graphical designing by September."


The Bicentennial King Vol.3

The Millbranch Music import label announced the release of their third CD 'The Bicentennial King Vol.3'  on August 16, 2011. It is limited to 500 copies with an 8 page booklet containing lots of photos and different original 1976 Shreveport, LA newspaper articles with information regarding the Elvis concert at the Hirsch Coliseum on July 1, 1976. By the way: Volume 4 is soon to follow (in early October).


(Source: FECC / ElvisMatters)